Nessee



(No Model.) I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. BQCROW &.W. E. MOMAOKIN.

UAR COUPLING. No. 379,568. I Patented Mar; 20, 1888.

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WI TJV' ESSES NITED STATES PATENT 'FFlCEt WILLIAM B. CROW AND WILLIAM E. MOMACKIN, OF MILBURNTON, TEN- NESSEEL CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.379,563, dated March 20, 1888.

Application filed December 27, 1887. Serial No. 259,111.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, WILLIAM B. CROW and XVILLIAM. E. MoMAoKIN, citizens of the Uni ted States of America, residing at Milhurnton, in the county of Greene and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oar-Couplings, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention pertains to certain new and useful improvements in car couplings, having for its object the provision of siinple and efficient means for readily coupling and uncoupling the cars and the production of a device that will possess advantages in point of simplicity, durability, and inexpensiveness.

The invention consists, briefly, in two similarly-constructed oppositely-disposed levers or hooked bars operated through a trigger and trigger-trip, the same beingset by the operator and operated automatically in the coupling of the cars. I

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a portion of a car .8 is a view of an auxiliary form thereof.

Referring to the drawings, A designates the draw-head, of ordinary construction in its general outline and formation, the same prefera bly having a removable upper portion or top, a, secured to the lower or main portion by screws, as shown. The inner opposite forward sides of the draw-head areinclined or recessed, as shown at a.

B B are two similarly-constructed levers or hooked bars fnlcrumed at about their centers by means of vertical rods b, which are passed through a connectingbar, b, bearing on the upper surfaces of said levers, and the upper ends of said rods are extended into the upper portion of the draw-head. These levers have forward beak-like or curved hooked ends bi,

(N0 model.)

as shown, the sides of said levers converging toward their center, from which point they are curved inwardly, and thence are convergently inclined to their rear ends. These levers or hooked bars are guided in their movement and held as against vertical displacement by means of inwardly-projecting guide-bars b extending through apertures or slots in said levers.

C G are spring-plates, secured at their rear ends to the inner sides of the draw-head, and their forward slightly-bent ends bear against the sides of the levers or hooked bars B, normally holding said ends of the levers or hooked bars in close proximity to each other.

D D are two similarly-constructed triggers pivoted upon the upper surfaces of the rear grooved ends of the levers B, said triggers having outer curved surfaces designed to normally bear against the sides of the draw-head, and straight portions (1 of which normally bear against correspondingly-inclined shoulders on the said levers B.

E is an approXimatelyV-shaped triggertrip, designed to slide between the rearconvergent ends of the levers B. said trigger-trip having a forwardly-projecting finger or bumper projecting between the central widened portions of the levers, as shown. To the under side of this trigger-trip is rigidly secured one end of a sliding bar, e,-extending through a slot or groove formed in the under central surface of a guide-bar, e, the rearward movement of said sliding bar being limited by a stop, 6 in the rear end of the chambered portion of the draw-head. In the lower portion of the inner opposite rear ends of the levers B are formed grooves or recesses b, so as to permit the movementof the sliding bar c with out interfering with the movement of said levers B. This trigger-trip is further guided in its movements by means of a horizontal wire rod projecting from the floor of the draw-head and entering a groove in the under surface of said trigger-trip and guide-bar. To an ordinary staple, e, of the trigger-trip are pivotally connected the forward ends of two links or connecting-rods, f f, the rear ends of which are bent and projected into apertures in theinner ends of the triggers D, thus forming a connection between the triggers and the triggertrip, as shown.

F is a lever of ordinary construction, fulcrumed upon one side of the upper surface of the draw-head, (or there may be two levers, one fulcrumed on each side,) said lever having secured to its inner end a vertical rod, f, working in a slot, f, of the draw-head, and secured at its lower end to the V-shaped trigger-trip, as shown.

G is a connecting-bar provided with arrowhead-like ends, and to the under side of this bar, near one end, is rigidly connected the upper end of an inclined plate, which is designed to rest upon the lower curved portion of the end opening of the draw-head, so as to hold said bar in a horizontal plane. This form of connecting-bar is employed when the cars to be coupled are of the same height; but when cars of different heights are to be coupled we employ the curved connecting-bar shown in Fig. 8.

In practice, when it is desired to set the coupling for reception of the couplingbar of the approaching ear, the same is effected by forcing rearwardly on the outer end of the lever F, causing, through the agency of its connecting-rod f, the sliding forward of the V- shaped trigger-trip E and the projection of its finger or bumper-head into the forward space between the levers, said triggertrip, through the agency of the links or connectiugrods f, effecting the turning of the triggers D, so as to cause their inner ends to come in contact with each other and their opposite outer ends to bear firmly against the inner sides of the draw-head, which will consequently effect the inward movement of the rear ends of the levers and the opening of the forward ends thereof. When the arrowhead-like end of the bar of the approaching car enters the space between the forward ends of the levers B and strikes against theforward end of the finger orbumperhead of the trigger-trip, the same will effect the rearward movement of said trigger-trip and the unseating of the triggers, thus causing the forward hooked ends ofthelevcrsto yield to the action of the springs C, and effect the closing or inward movement of said ends of the levers, thus effecting the coupling of the cars,

the projections of said arrowhead-like end of the connecting bar being designed to bear against the shoulders of the beak-like or hooked ends of the levers.

It will be understood that to effect the uncoupling of the cars it is only necessary to again move rearward the outer end of the lever F, which will effect the resetting of the triggers and the opening of the forward hooked ends of the levers B.

From what has been said it willv be seen that our invention comprises simple and efficient means for automatically coupling cars,and that such coupling of the cars is readily and efficiently effected.

We claim as our invention- 1. The combination, with the levers or hooked bars, of the triggers pivoted to the rear ends thereof, and the trigger trip connected to said triggers and sliding between the rear portions of said levers, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination, with the levers or hooked bars, of the triggers connected thereto, having curved sides, the V-shaped triggertrip, the links or connecting rods, and the guide-bar connected to said trigger-trip, sub stantially as shown and described.

3. As an improvement in car couplings having spring-held levers or hooked bars carrying triggers, the trigger-trip sliding between the rear portions of said levers and having a finger or bumper-head projected between forward portions of said levers. substantially as shown, and for the purpose stated.

4. The combination, with the draw-head and the spring-held levers or hooked bars, of the triggers secured to said levers or hooked bars, the V-shaped trigger-trip having links connected to said triggers, and the lever fuleru med on the draw-head and connected to said triggertrip, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

\VILLlAM B. GROW. \VILLIAM E. MOMACKIN.

\Vitnesses:

.T. R. WHITE, 0. 0. Bonus. 

